Leather drying unit



Oct. 11, 1949. DA. KELLY 2,484,349

LEATHER DRYING UNIT Filed July 24, 1947 ENTQ DAN A.KEL

- AT TORNEYS Patented Oct. 11, 1949 LEATHER DRYING UNIT Daniel Allcott Kelly, Milwaukee, Wis., assig-nor to The Prime Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application July 24, 1947', Serial No. 763,434

1 Claim. 1

This invention appertains to hides and more particularly to a novel device for supporting hides during the drying thereof.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a novel frame and support on which hides can be pasted and smoothed out for the drying process, and thereby eliminating the necessity of providing complicated stretching or tacking frames and thework of associating hides therewith.

Another salient object of my invention is to provide a smooth, unbroken sheet mounted in a novel manner within a supporting frame upon both or either face of which hides can be conveniently and quickly smoothed out and pasted thereon for the drying process.

In my processing it has been proposed to use a plate of polished stainless steel, but due to the size of the sheet, the weight and cost thereof proved prohibitive.

Plate glass was found to be an ideal medium on which the hides can be smoothed and pasted. The limitation of glass is the fact that it is breakable, and in such large plates as would be practical for acceptable production in pasting, the holding of this piece of glass in a frame is an extremely difficult problem if stresses and strains which cause breaking of the glass are to be eliminated.

It is therefore another important object of my invention to provide novel means for mounting the sheet or plate of glass in a frame in such a manner that the glass can float therein, thereby eliminating the strains, the means at the same time functioning to hold the glass securely in the frame.

A further object of my invention is to provide a hide pasting unit in which the plate of glass is supported in such a manner that the glass can give at different points in the frame and which is so constructed that the glass can be quickly removed from or associated with the frame.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, ar-

Figure 3 is anenlarged fragmentary detailed horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1- looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating one of the novel clamping springs.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary detailed vertical. sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1. looking in the direction of the arrows, illustrating the mounting of one of the spring clamps.

Referring to the drawing in detail, lwherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the letter U generally indicates my novel pasting unit and the same includes a frame 5 which is adapted to be suspended by swiveled hanger trolley wheelli from a track I. The mounting of the frame 5 on the track. I forms no part of my present invention and obviously the unit U is mounted on the track so that the unit can be conveniently moved into and out of drying rooms.

The frame 5 is of a large rectangular shape and includes upper and lower rails 6 and 1 and end rails 8 and 9. The meeting terminals of the end rails and the top and bottom rails are secured together in any desired way so as to form the rigid frame. All four of the rails are preferably constructed from angle iron so that inwardly projecting stop flanges Ill and outwardly projecting supporting flanges II will be provided.

Received within this frame is the sheet or plate of glass l2 and the glass is placed against the stop flanges l0 within the supporting flanges ll.

As brought out in the objects of this specification, novel means is provided for mounting the glass within the frame so that the glass can float or give therein. The means employed for resiliently mounting the glass !2 within the frame consists of a plurality of clamps l3 spaced around the frame at convenient and advantageous points. Each of the novel clamping devices include a bowed leaf spring I4. The central portion of each bowed leaf spring M can be provided with a straight saddle portion id for a purpose which will later appear, and the ends of each leaf spring are curved outwardly to provide feet "5 which are adapted to engage the plate of glass. On each side of the straight or saddle portion 15 of each s ring out-struck lugs I! are formed, the purpose for which will also appear later. Mounted on the frame at the desired spaced points are holding arms l8. These arms face the stop flanges l0 and are arranged in spaced parallel relation therewith. These arms l8 can be connected in place in any desired way, but I have found that the same can be readily associated with the angle irons which form the frame in the following manner. As shown in the drawings, the arms l8 are of an L-shape in side elevation, and the flanges H are slotted to receive the arms. The base portions of the arms abut the outer faces of the flanges I l and, as stated, the other portions of the arms extend inwardly.

In the use of my unit, the plate of glass I2 of the correct size is placed within the frame and this glass can be of the same shape as the frame but of a slightly less area so that the same can be easily slipped within the flanges H against the flanges Iii. The arms I8 are now placed in position and the spring clalmps M are slipped under the arms with the arcuate portions l6 engaging the glass. The saddle portions I5 of the clamps engage the arms and, the lugs l1 engage the side of the arms so as to prevent lateral shifting of the clamps. Obviously the clamps can be easily slipped in place by flexing the same inwardly against the glass and then sliding the clamps laterally under the arms. The tension of the spring clamps will effectively hold the glass plate [2 in position and the base portions of the arms against the frame. The clamps resiliently hold the glass [plate !2 in position all around the frame and consequently the glass plate can give at any portion within the frame.

This will relieve stresses and strains on the glass and actually the plate can float back and forth in the frame toward and away from the stop flanges I0.

From the foregoing description it can be seen that I have provided a novel drying and pasting unit for hides in which a large plate of glass can be successfully used.

While I have specifically set forth that the plate I2 is of glass, it is to be understood that equivalent material can be used such as smooth sheet plastic.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or the scope of my invention, but what I claim as new is:

A drying and pasting unit for hides comprising an open rectangular frame including upper and lower rails and end rails connected to the terminals thereof, said rails being of an angle shape in cross-section, and including inwardly extending stop flanges and outwardly extending supporting flanges, a smooth sheet of glass detachably received Within the frame and fitted against the stop flan es, supporting arms carried by the outwardly extending flanges at spaced points and having portions thereof arranged in spaced parallel relation to the stop flanges, and leaf springs, slidably fitted under the arms having arcuate terminals bearing against the face of the glass opposite to the face engaging the stop flanges, said arms also including base portions engaging the out-er faces of the supporting flanges, said arms being insertable in the frame through slots in the supporting flanges.

DANIEL ALLCOTT KELLY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,059,764 Ringer Apr. 22, 1913 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 787,173 France June 24, 1935 

